Penguin is bringing out the first five of Chester Himes’ Harlem Noir novels in its modern classics range. I’m delighted by this. The Himes’ novels are underrated and not particularly well known now, but they really are classics and they do deserve much more attention than they receive.

I’ve written about the first two novels here. Here’s the new Penguin covers:

Happy as I am about this I am a little surprised to see five making classic status at once. Penguin treated Ambler similarly of course but each of his were stand alone novels. Still, it’s welcome recognition for a neglected writer and that’s always a good thing.

On a more personal aside, I’m still presently reading Proust’s second volume. Unfortunately work pressures meant that I haven’t made the progress I’d hoped so it’s still not finished. Thankfully it is very good. I did however read a small Penguin collection of Jean Rhys short stories which I shall write up soon.

6 responses to “Classic Himes”

I’d like to read one of these especially since Harlem is on my radar as I started to read authors of the Harlem Renaissance.
I’m interested in your Jean Rhy’s review. I have read everything she has written and thought she was excellent and would deserve to be read much more.

I have “La reine des pommes” on the shelf (literally The Queen of Apples, which is the French title for The Five Cornered Square)
How is the Narrator doing these days? Already in Balbec or still pining for Gilberte?

Currently reading

The Leviathan, by Joseph Roth.

Review backlog:
Francis Plug: How to be a Public Author, by Paul Ewen;
The Illiad, Richard Lattimore translation;

Bonjour Tristesse, by Françoise Sagan; and
The Inheritors, by William Golding;
The A26, by Pascal Garnier;
Cassandra at the Wedding, by Dorothy Baker;
Clans of the Alphane Moon, by Philip K Dick; and
The Blue Fox, by Sjón.